First Time Instructor Ski Recommendations

Boo yaa!

i just scored a P/T gig in Tahoe as a beginning level ski instructor. this will be my first time teaching (going to shoot to get Level 1 by season's end) and am pretty sure that the skis i currently have aren't going to be the most optimal for the job (i have been skiing on "big mountain" tailored skis for the past several seasons: AK King Salmon in a 180, Lib Tech NAS Freeride in a 188, and Volant Spatulas in a 185). Given their relatively long turning radius (not to mention reverse camber), i'm pretty sure i'll need a shorter, turnier ski, especially since i'll be on the bunny slopes for most of the season.

the only recommendations i've been given are to go short (175ish) with a shorter turning radius than i normally ski (my current skis are between 19m and 24m). other than that a few instructor friends suggested not buying anything terribly expensive as the top sheets will undoubtedly get wrecked from people skiing over them.

that said, i've wanted to stick a turnier, shorter, groomer oriented carving ski in the quiver so i don't want some low-end model. i'd like something that's going to help me improve my on-piste skills, specifically carving and angulation, so that i can transfer this over to my longer, larger skis and off-piste skiing.

so I'm looking for some feedback/input on what kind of skis I should be considering.

(for the record, I searched this subject and all the threads I found were from 2001 through 2006, so wanted to start a newer one to cover newer gear).

danke in advance

:) 

Great job, Good luck!  Maybe we'll see you in Tahoe this season.  As for skis, go short and versatile.  Under 90mm waist should be OK with the beginners.  Check out the K2 Apache Recon, Crossfire or Sidewinder (last season).  You should be able to find one of these used or carry over from last season.  Also, the Volkl AC30, AC50 or look at some of the older ones like the AC4.  Frankly, any good deal you find on a mid-level ski under 90 mm waist should be fine.

 right on.
i checked out the skis available for demo at the mountain i'll be working at and they have Nordica, Volkl, Atomic, Blizzard, Dynastar, and Rossignol...so i'll probably see what they have to offer and choose from that stash, unless something specific comes up.

sadly, i'm a xenophobe, so i won't be supporting K2, but i'll keep those Volkl models in mind.

Edited by dookey67 - 11/10/09 at 3:05pm

you really dont need any new skis...

 the standards I took my 2/3rd of my L3 skiing and all of my Teaching on my 179cm Public Enemies and passed both those sections. the only part I failed I was using my 170cm progressors go figure!

everyone passes L1 I have seen you ski so dont worry about your skis use either the Ak or the Libtechs. Just become a better skier and you should be able to use the Aks for L2 and L3 as well.

short skinny carvers simply arent fun, when you seek out off trail trails all the time. Anyone who says other wise is a masochist.

 right on Bush.
i think i've improved a lot since we hung out 2 seasons ago (guys i spent the summer skiing with have said so and a few TGR folks who follow my TRs have  noticed a change in my form just from looking at pictures from 2007, 2008, and 2009).

i guess i'm more concerned about having something a little more turny since i'll be teaching kids and beginner adults on the bunny slopes. my AKs have a 24m radius, so it's not like they turn on a dime. The Libs are a 19m, but at 188 they are kinda long, i think, for teaching. i could be wrong, though. 

Way to get the job dookey!  Of course I can't speak from experience but something from the demo fleet makes sense to me.  Any chance they'd let you demo a few likely suspects for free?

yeah, i dunno. i actually haven't inquired about the perks of the job. i know they toss us a free pass, but not sure what the deal is when it comes to demoing from the mountain shop or when it comes to pro deals. i figured i'd find that out after i start working, which isn't until the end of December. so i'm not in a real hurry to run out and score new skis, but more wanted a idea of what i should be looking at for when the time comes.
who knows, as Bush said, what i have might work out (I can't imagine my hot pink with neon blue screaming monkey Lib Techs not being a hit with the kids...though they might also be a distraction).

You could check this out.... together with its PSIA Alpine Team Members, Rossignol develops "the ski" for PSIA

Thank you for visiting the PSIA-AASI Rossignol pro store.  The promotional email for the Avenger 82Ti Instructor Pricing was released prematurely.  Please check back after 5pm EST 11/10/2009 for corrected pricing for the PSIA Avenger 82Ti offer.

the best skis for teaching kids are shorter twin tips, they are not the best for taking exams but a good skier can pass on nearly anything.

 hmmm, maybe i should re-mount those 176 Armada AR6's i have been meaning to sell for the past couple of seasons...

I think I've seen AC30s and AC50s on tramdock.com today. However, a true xenophobe wouldn't want skis made in Germany, either. (Some Volkls, the Mantra and the Gotama for sure, are now made in China like K2s, just FYI if that's what you're trying to avoid.)

 I happen to like a slalom ski because it makes your demos so obvious and you can make things happen at just barely moving speeds. That said I've taught on everything from SG skis to rocker skis.

Take a look at Level 9 sports, they have some great deals on older model skis, something like a monster 72, XRC 800 or 1100, (stay away from the 1200)
Usually in the locker room there will usully be a pile of skis that instructors are selling off as well.

 soft twin for teaching is genius, turn around and teach face to face.

Ask Mr. Hafer after you have skied with him for a day.

SJ

 ^will do!
 BTW, off-topic of turny, short skis for instructing beginners, SJ, do y'all demo Fischer skis, specifically the Watea 101? am interested in that for a BC set-up
:)

Yawp!..........We demo Fischers and I'll probably have a 182 (cuz thats the size I like) in demo.

Funny thing about demo skis this year though, there are some skis that are selling out early and I may be inventory thin by the time demo season comes around.

SJ

 double funny as that's exactly what Greg, the owner of California Ski Company said when I asked him if they were going to demo the Blizzard Atlas (that they were probably gonna sell out of much of what they have in stock). why is it always that the skis i most wish to try are never available?
:)
might have to open my own store just so i can attend those on-snow demo festivals you guys go to...

btw, what is considered "demo season", January - Feb? i know most shops won't let anything out early season (and know of other shops that won't let anything out over a 90mm or if it's twin-tipped).

really intrigued by that 182 Watea 101, though. flexed it, hefted it, seems like it might be what i've been searching for (softer tip, stiffer tail, fairly light, radius under 24...)

but i digress, since it's not exactly a ski i would use to instruct on.

Since it's your thread, you are allowed to mini-jack.................

I think the 101 is a good fit for your needs.

BTBTW...........I may see Greg tomorrow and we'll compare notes as to what we are hearing. I know that I just nabbed the last pr. or two of another Blizzi model and the Atlas is getting thin too. (But I'll have my pair so you can borrow those sometime if we sell out)

SJ

 Greg is a nice fellow, hope to ski with him (and you, as well) some day. I usually go into his shop a couple times a season, once pre-season, usually mid-season, and then end-of-the-season. He's remarked that I'm fairly articulate in explaining what I like and don't like about a ski, so he's made some suggestions here and there. The more I'm skiing and improving, the more it seems like I may want something with a softer tip and stiffer tail. This suggestion has come up from a number of people I regularly ski with, too, people who have seen me improve over the past 3 seasons, are familiar with my style of skiing, and are familiar with the skis I am currently running. Greg was, I think (again he's never seen me ski, so he's going solely on my feedback) very astute in surmising that I may be using camber and a short turning radius to compensate for the fact that I'm on fairly stiff (for my taste) skis (the AK King Salmon and the Lib Tech, both stiff in that their flex is pretty even from tip to tail). We got to talking and he brought up the Stockli DP Pro. When I told him I'd skied the Scott Schmidt he laughed and said that they were totally different. We flexed the DP and it has a relatively soft tip with it getting progressively stiffer down to the tail. He remarked that even thought the radius was in the upper 20s (I think it's 25 or 27), the soft tip allowed one to whip it around faster and initiate shorter turns than a similar ski with a stiffer tip (i.e. my King Salmon). He then pointed me to the Fischer 101, which again has a relatively soft tip compared to the rest of the ski. The discussion got me thinking, recalling my other discussions with my regular ski buddies, that I may very well like/cotton to a ski with a softer tip rather than trying to find the elusive 95-105mm ski with a radius under 24 (not many exist).

As for the Atlas, intrigued by that. I loved the Titan 9 (the neon yellow/green version), but didn't like the next year's Red/White/Blue version (have no clue what they did to the ski since the dimensions were almost identical, but the last gen of the T9 was totally different than the previous ones...one buddy thought they moved the mounting point more forward, but we're not sure on this).

anyway, i'm rambling, but that's where my mind is at and the skis i'd like to try are the DP Pro and the Watea 101 (amongst others like the Nordy Enforcer, Moment Tahoe, Icelantic Nomad in the new 184 length (liked their skis 2 seasons ago, but they were too short at 173), and a few others).

i really just want to get my quiver dialed in with an everyday 95-99 ski, a touring ski (99-110), and my Spatulas, and then maybe a short, fun, carver so i can continue to work on my form on the groomers.

Stay in touch as the snow gets closer.

SJ

As a ski school trainer I encourage instructors to ski something similar to what the beginners are showing up on. In other words I would discourage teaching on really fat skis and/or rockered skis. Good demos should not just reflect good mechanics but should be believable to the student. Having gear makedly different from the typical beginners gear may leave doubt in the students head about their own gear and their ability to do what you are showing them.

All the brands you mentioned are good. My advice would be to join psia and look for a pro deal if you can. Adding a carve oriented ski would be a good choice for the very reasons you said, but anything in a mid fat size should work as well.

Like Mom said, according to Rossignol you can now buy an instructor turn.

As a rookie instructor you will be spending your time working with never-evers or those with very little experience. This means a lot of time on the Magic Carpet. Check the unloading area of the carpet. Most of these lifts have exposed metal that will tear up your bases and edges in a hurry. Because of this, I wouldn't spend a lot of money on teaching skis. Go find yourself some cheap used twin tips that you won't have worry about. Last year I scored a pair of older brand new ladies skis on e-bay for $75 that I use for teaching beginners. They are real easy to perform demos on for entry level skiers. If I get an intermediate or advanced level lesson, then I grab my slalom skis and go. Give it some thought.

Karl

yep and also good at not getting hung up at slow speed. 80 percent of little kids lesson are spent either helping them or skiing backwards.

+1 on RicB's suggestion to use skis similar to what your students will be on.

slight hijack: there is another type of first time instructor out there. Every parent that takes their three year old out on the mountain and (skiing backwards a lot) brings them full circle, until the kid is ready to surpass and give back a pointer or two. My son went through a phase where he was an identical imitation of what I was doing, (a familiar image on the mountain those days) as he had followed my tracks for years. (of course he had to unlearn some of that ) Then one day it happened: when my kid straight lined extra chute on a day  I wasn't about to, I knew my work was over. Many people are brought into the sport with that one-on-one parental coaching. About the ski to use: you better use faster and stiffer ones as your charge grows up in the sport.

 I just got a pair of 172 Dynastar Contact Limited $150.  I will use these and my 176 Gotoma.

Is it true, this years Mantra and Goat are made in China.  I better hold onto my white Mantra, it will be a collectors item.

RicB is right.  Don't go spend a lot of money on ski's.  Teaching lst timers you want:  Short, light, inexpensive. Ski swap ski's.
Your students will be on your skis, you will at times be going over, around sudents, obstacles etc. As an instructor you will be expected to ski in all conditions so if it is a sparse snow year and / or sparse early you will still be out there.

On a bad ski year I literally trashed a pair of skis.  You will be teaching lst timers and beginners and don't have to look cool etc. Now is the time to start thinking aboout what your new skiers will need.

 Thanks for all the suggestions, really appreciate it.
I will def need something shorter and turnier (and more used) since my current quiver ain't gonna cut it (188 Lib Techs, 185 Spatulas, 180 King Salmons).
:)